Bless the Children
by StaindRedGlass
Summary: STORY 6: The children of military personnel are being kidnapped. In cooperation with the FBI, the team must find the children and find out who is abducting them before more go missing. But there's more to the kidnappings then what it appears to be.
1. Chapter 1

Here's the 6th story in my series. If you haven't read the other stories, then I advise you to not proceed until you do. This is a series. It runs in sequence. To understand certain things (especially where Jamie came from), it's best to just start at the beginning. This series is kind of like my very own NCIS season 4. As of this point, the series consists of: story 1 A Link to the Past (comes in 3 parts)… story 2 Wrong Place, Wrong Time…. story 3 Second Job… story 4 Daughters… story 5 A Personal Vendetta… story 6 Bless the Children (current story). Hope you enjoy it.

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**Thursday**

**Chapter 1**

It's Thursday morning and the team is basically just showing up to work. McGee and Ziva arrive at the NCIS building at the same time and go into the elevator together. They step off the elevator and walk to the work area where they see Tony and Jamie already there. Tony is sitting in his chair and Jamie is sitting in his lap with her arms around his neck and her legs dangling over the left side of the chair. Ziva and McGee walk into the area and stand near Tony's desk.

"You do realize what Gibbs is gonna do when he sees you two like this." Ziva stated.

"Dad is like a cuddly puppy dog." Jamie said.

"More like a Pit-bull." McGee said.

"Don't worry about it people. Gibbs is alright with me and Jamie being together. So it won't bother him. And if it bothers him, then I'll just tell him how this relationship works and how he can't do anything about certain things." Tony stated.

"So in other words… You've already made funeral plans?" Ziva asked.

"More like wedding plans." Tony laughed.

Jamie swings her left hand up toward Ziva and McGee in order to show them her engagement ring.

"Wow, nice ring." McGee said.

"Yes it is a nice ring." Ziva said.

Jamie brings her hand back toward her body.

"So when did this happen?" Ziva asked.

"Tony asked me to marry him about three weeks ago. The day he took my place in the bomb vest." Jamie stated. "He finally gave me this ring a couple days ago."

"You do realize Gibbs is still trying to get used to the fact of you two being together." McGee said. "Or did you two forget?"

"Does Gibbs know about this?" Ziva asked.

Tony and Jamie look at each, trying to come up with an answer or avoiding the question.

"He doesn't know." McGee stated.

"And it's gonna stay that way… For now." Tony said.

"Dad still needs time for this to sink in." Jamie said.

"Your Dad's, sink in time, is gonna be long. He's not like a sponge." McGee said.

"He definitely doesn't have square pants." Tony joked.

"And his name isn't Bob either." Ziva added.

"Are you all five years old? Can we please not start a discussion about SpongeBob SquarePants." Jamie stated.

"Actually, SpongeBob SquarePants isn't such a bad show…" McGee begins to say.

Tony, Jamie and Ziva all look at McGee.

"Not… Not that I watch it or anything." McGee quickly defends himself.

"Sure you don't McGeek." Tony said.

Suddenly, Agent Fornell of the FBI steps off the elevator. The team watches as he walks toward them.

"What are you doing here Fornell?" Tony asked.

"I came to speak to Gibbs… Is he here?" Fornell answered.

"Gibbs is at a conference today." Tony stated.

"No I'm not DiNozzo." Gibbs stated as he's walking down the staircase that leads up to MTAC and the Director's office.

Jamie quickly takes the ring off her finger and stashes it in her purse. Gibbs finally walks into the area. He glares at Tony. Tony gently pushes Jamie off of his lap. Jamie stands up like they weren't doing anything. Gibbs looks toward Fornell.

"We don't need your help on this one Fornell… Nor do we care for it." Gibbs said.

"You seem to not have a choice Gibbs… Your Director called us in." Fornell said.

"Elevator." Gibbs stated.

Gibbs and Fornell walk toward the elevator.

"What do you think actually goes on in the elevator with those two?" Tony asked the rest of the team.

"Don't know… But they never really liked each other." McGee stated.

Gibbs and Fornell step onto the elevator. Gibbs pushes one of the buttons to make the elevator starts going down to the next floor, but then he hit the stop button. Gibbs and Fornell are now in the elevator, stopped between two floors.

"The children of military families are the ones who have been abducted here, which makes it our jurisdiction. So NCIS takes lead on this investigation. All forensic evidence goes to my Forensic Specialist, and I mean everything. If you don't like it, then you can walk Tobias." Gibbs stated.

"I have no problem with NCIS being lead on this investigation, Jethro." Fornell said. "You can expect our full cooperation."

"You usually don't cave this easily Tobias."

"When my Director was looking for a volunteer, all I could think about was my own daughter. A person who abducts children… The more of them we can get off the streets, the safer it is for my Emily." Fornell stated. "I'm just interested in finding those kids. And all I ask is that the FBI gets copies of all records that pertain to this case."

"At least we understand each other."

"So we got a deal Jethro?" Fornell extends his hand.

"Only under one condition, Tobias."

"What?"

"Don't bring Agent Sacks in on this."

"I know DiNozzo has a problem with him and his presence may affect his work, so I never planned on bringing him in."

"Good… Then we have a deal." Gibbs now extends his hand.

Gibbs and Fornell shake hands. Then Gibbs hits the button to restart the elevator. They step off the elevator at the floor where they left the NCIS team. Both of them start walking toward the team.

"Just cuz we're under-manned at the moment, doesn't mean I'm gonna enjoy this Fornell." Gibbs stated.

"The only reason I was put on this case is cuz I'm the only agent who would even remotely consider working with you Gibbs." Fornell stated. "And right now, I'm started to regret it."

"Then this should work out perfectly."

Gibbs and Fornell finally walk up to the team. Gibbs looks at them.

"What do we got Boss?" McGee asked.

"Nine children were abducted last night and we're the only available team. There are nine crime-scenes in total and we're under-manned. So Director Shepard contacted the FBI for assistance." Gibbs stated.

"Who has lead?" Tony asked.

"NCIS has lead." Gibbs said as he walks to his desk to grab a few things.

"You must love the fact that we have lead, Fornell." Tony said as he looks toward Fornell.

"Not as much as you'll love the fact of working with Agent Sacks, DiNozzo." Fornell responded.

"Are you serious!" Tony exclaimed. "Come on… Do you really expect me to work with that guy!"

Gibbs walks over to Jamie. He kisses her on the forehead. He then looks to the team.

"Grab your gear. Ziva, call Ducky. Fornell… Catch." Gibbs stated as he tosses the keys to him.

"Haha!" Tony laughs. "Looks like you're gassing the truck Fornell."

"You seriously want me to gas the truck?" Fornell asked Gibbs.

"No… I just wanted to see DiNozzo's reaction to you telling him to gas the truck."

Fornell tosses the keys to Tony.

"Gas the truck DiNozzo." Fornell said.

Gibbs smirks as he sees the look on Tony's face. Both Gibbs and Fornell walk to the elevator as Tony is left with a slightly mad expression upon his face. Ziva and McGee follow them to the elevator. Tony gives Jamie a quick kiss on the lips then runs to the elevator. The elevator door closes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The team drives down to Montclair, Virginia, which is just North of Quantico. FBI Agent Tobias Fornell drives down in his own car. Gibbs parks the truck and the team gets out. Fornell parks his car right behind the NCIS truck. They all surround the area between the two vehicles. The local Sheriff greets them.

"You must be from NCIS. I collected pictures of all the children who were abducted, so the Amber Alert is in full effect. Their faces are being shown all over the TV. Descriptions of the children are being stated over the radio. And a tip hotline has been setup." The Sheriff said.

"Thank you Sheriff." Gibbs said.

Gibbs looks to the team and begins to address them.

"We have nine crime-scenes between these three streets. We're gonna work in groups of two. Me and Fornell will work the house right over here." Gibbs points to the house. "Ziva… You and McGee take the house four doors down." Gibbs points in the direction.

"On it Boss." McGee said.

Ziva and McGee start walking toward the assigned house. Gibbs continues addressing the rest of the team.

"Tony… You and Ducky take the fifth house across the street." Gibbs points in the direction.

"Jethro?" Ducky tries to get his attention.

"Yes Ducky?"

"I'm just a medical examiner. What can I do without any bodies?"

"We're working under-manned here Ducky, so I don't know… Help DiNozzo by taking pictures. That's something easy for you to do."

"Come on Duckman, it'll be fun." Tony hands Ducky a camera.

Gibbs glares at Tony.

"What's fun about children being abducted?" Gibbs asked.

"Nothing… It was bad choice of wording." Tony relied.

Tony and Ducky start walking across the street in order to get to their assigned house. Gibbs looks at Fornell.

"What do you think Jethro?"

"I think my gut has already started turning."

"Something doesn't feel right?"

"Let's just say the thought of children being abducted is one of the world's worst things to possibly think of." Gibbs places his hand on Fornell's shoulder. "Especially if it was your own daughter who was kidnapped."

"Why don't you go get started. My people will be here shortly and I'll brief them." Fornell stated.

"When they get here, put them in groups of two. Here are the addresses of the other houses." Gibbs hands him the list. "I'll meet you inside."

Gibbs starts walking toward the house.

As Tony and Ducky are walking to their assigned house, Tony receives a phone-call. He looks at the caller ID to see who it is. He then stops.

"Ducky, this is an important call, so I need to take it." Tony said.

"I'll just meet you at the house then." Ducky said in order to give Tony privacy.

Ducky walks away and Tony answers the phone.

"DiNozzo…" Tony said.

"Larry Dermont will be released from prison for good behavior." The voice on the other line stated.

"How can they release him from prison! That man is extremely dangerous. He's the worst thing to ever hit Baltimore."

"No choice… He was only convicted of the drug and weapon charges. The bodies were never found."

"When is he getting out?"

"Within the next two weeks."

"You know damn well he's gonna go back to killing people again."

"I'll keep a close eye on him."

"Danny… Keep me posted."

"No problem."

Tony closes his cell-phone and takes a deep breath. He then continues walking toward the house in order to meet up with Ducky.

Fornell waited a couple minutes until his squad came. Once they finally arrived, he split them into teams of two and assigned each team a house. Afterward, Fornell walks to the house Gibbs is in. Fornell walks into the child's room where Gibbs is searching around the child's bed.

"You got anything yet?" Fornell asked.

"Take a look at this." Gibbs said.

Fornell walks over as Gibbs lifts the pillow from the bed in order to show him something he found a minute ago.

"It's a cross." Fornell said.

Gibbs holds the cross up for Fornell to take a look at. Fornell takes the cross.

"Look at what it says on the back." Gibbs stated.

Fornell flips the cross to look.

"It reads… Bless the children." Fornell read what is on the back of the cross.

"Ziva called to tell me she found a cross under the pillow. And the same words were on the back." Gibbs said. "This isn't just a coincidence Tobias. We're dealing with a serial kidnapper."

"And the crosses are the calling card."

"Exactly."

Gibbs and Fornell both continue to search the room. All other two person teams search the house they're in.

Once all the houses were searched and statements were taken, all the evidence was placed into the NCIS truck and they all leave the area.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Both the NCIS and FBI teams arrive at the NCIS building. All the evidence, nine boxes worth of it are immediately brought to the Forensics Lab in order for Abby to process. One after another, one person from each two person team enters into the lab. With seeing the amount of stuff coming in, Abby's jaw drops. She then drops her head onto the table where a couple empty Caf-Pow containers are.

"This isn't happening… This isn't happening." Abby said softly to herself.

"Where should we put the boxes Abs?" Tony asked.

"Just leave em on the floor near the desk."

Each person holding a box of evidence sets it down on the floor near the desk. Then each other them leaves the lab. After everybody leaving the lab, only Gibbs and Fornell are left standing at the door while Abby is rolling her forehead, from side to side, against the table and talking to herself. Fornell is perplexed as to wondering if Abby is stable enough to work. Fornell turns to Gibbs who is holding a Caf-Pow.

"Is she…" Fornell begins to say.

"That's normal for her." Gibbs said.

"Are you sure giving her that…"

"Don't worry about it."

"This behavior doesn't concern you at all?"

"What would concern me is if she didn't do anything like this."

"Alright… I'm gonna go back to FBI headquarters to see if anything we found matches any other case in our databases."

Fornell walks out of the lab, leaving Gibbs standing just inside the door to the lab, looking at Abby rolling her forehead against the table and talking to herself. Gibbs finally walks over to Abby.

"Come on Abs… You can handle this. You do this all the time. Besides, it's not that much to work on." Abby said to herself.

Abby lifts her head and looks at the evidence on the other table. She looks at all of her equipment that's running to see if anything is done yet, so she can begin the next phase for certain evidence that's she's already working on. She then looks at the nine boxes of evidence sitting on the floor near her desk. Abby snatches the Caf-Pow from Gibbs' hands and begins sipping. She then puts the Caf-Pow on the table next to the computer. She then drops her head and once again begins rolling her forehead, from side to side, against the table.

"Can let all this stuff overwhelm you Abs… You need to remain focused… People are depending on you to get their evidence taken care of… Get your head off the table Abs… You have a guest in the lab… Not just a guest… It's Gibbs… Lift head, lift head… Or else no Caf-Pow…" Abby said softly to herself.

Abby lifts her head off the table and looks at Gibbs.

"Just how many Caf-Pows have you had today?" Gibbs asked.

"Why? You want some?" Abby grabs the Caf-Pow and holds it up to Gibbs.

"No thanks… So how many have you had?"

"Including the one you gave me… About 13 in total… And I still don't think it's enough." Abby stated as she takes another sip of the Caf-Pow.

"Abs, you're stressing yourself out."

"I am not stressing myself out Gibbs! NCIS is! All I've been getting this entire week is piles upon piles of evidence to go over. And you just added nine boxes into the mix. I've been coming to work early and leaving late… Yet I still can't get all of it done cuz when I get back in the morning, there's more!"

"And that's why I brought this up with the Director this morning when she called me in."

"You didn't! If she thinks I'm incapable of getting all of this done, then she'll require me to…" Abby just realized what Gibbs might be getting at. "She's not gonna give me an assistant, is she?"

"You'll be getting a temporary assistant Abs."

"No! She… You… Both of you can't stick another assistant on me like this!"

"Abs…" Gibbs tries getting her attention.

"Don't Abs me, mister! This whole conspiracy against the lab rat must stop! And by the way, I'm not a lab rat! I know I called myself that before and I know that's what you're thinking."

"Actually…"

"Shush! You can't do this to me Gibbs! Go up there and tell her I'm capable of getting everything done by myself! I don't need any help."

"Abs…" Gibbs tries getting her attention again.

"Hush! No talkies! I can't believe you would agree with her that I need an assistant!"

"It was my idea…"

"You're idea! You're the one who wants to stick a psychopath assistant on me this time! How could you! I'd slap you if I wasn't craving caffeine like I am." Abby grabs her Caf-Pow and takes another sip.

"Abs…" Gibbs still tries to get her attention.

"I told you no talkies! Don't you remember that Chip character! He was so creepy! He tried to frame Tony for murder then he tried to kill me! Me, Gibbs! I was lucky I kicked his butt. But what if the next assistant gets the drop on me! Then I'm screwed! It'll be a dead lab rat in the Forensics Lab! Wait… But I'm not a lab rat! Forget the previous comment!"

"Abs…"

"I'm a person, Gibbs! A very special person who you need! I'm the best Forensics Specialist to ever come to NCIS and you're willing to just toss another assistant on me to ruin my groove! I'll constantly be in fear for my life! I can't take this! How can you do something like this to me! I can't believe…"

Gibbs quickly places his hands on Abby cheeks then leans forward and places his lips on her lips in order to kiss her. Abby eyes widen as Gibbs' lips are on hers. After half a minute, Gibbs finally takes his lips off Abby's lips. He leans back as Abby slowly lifts her head upward in order to look up at Gibbs. Abby is speechless.

"Since I can finally say this… When I talked to the Director this morning, I did suggest you having a temporary assistant. I threw out a name and she agreed. You're assistant will be Jamie. Can you live with that?"

Abby just nods her head in agreement.

"Good… I'll call Jamie to get her over here to help you." Gibbs said.

Abby nods her head.

"You need to work on those nine boxes ASAP cuz the lives of nine children are at stake." Gibbs stated.

Abby nods her head again. Gibbs walks to the door and leaves the room. Abby watches as Gibbs leaves the lab. She then places her fingers gently on her lips as she smiles. After a couple seconds she throws her arms into the air like she just won the Super Bowl.

"Yes!"

Abby walks over to the nine boxes. She grabs a box and brings it over to the table and starts taking the stuff out in order to begin processing the contents.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Late Thursday night, Abby and Jamie have been in the Forensics Lab, frantically working on all the evidence in the missing children case. As for the team, they've been trying to follow any leads that have been called in, but none have made any major breaks in the case. Gibbs walks into the Forensics Lab.

"I really hope you got something for me Abs." Gibbs said.

"The evidence was planted." Abby stated.

"What makes you say that?"

"I have hair samples from 54 donors, six per house. Since when does it take six people to kidnap one child?" Abby said.

"We also have things like packs of gum, pieces of jewelry and a lot of other small things that could've easily been dropped and forgotten. Each of which has finger prints or skin samples to put even more people in each house. In addition to the finger prints you took from stuff that was already in the house." Jamie stated.

"Gibbs… Between the hair and skin samples, plus the finger prints from all the small things left behind… Also, the finger prints you got off security panels, doorknobs and other things are also from a bunch of people. We're looking at 12 different people inside each house to kidnap one child." Abby stated. "This is ridiculous!"

"It's smart."

"Why do you say that, Dad?"

"Cuz whoever did this, knows we have to follow every lead the evidence gives us."

"But if it's planted evidence then why follow it?" Jamie asked.

"In order to do a thorough investigation, we have to… Even if the evidence was planted cuz we're working on the chance that the kidnapper screwed up somewhere and actually left us something that will give us a hit." Gibbs said. "The kidnapper wants us to waste time."

"At least we're almost done with everything from those nine boxes." Abby stated.

"But how can a person make a duplicate of another person's finger print in order to plant it as evidence?" Jamie asked.

"Gibbs, remember that ex-SEAL and how he escaped from Levenworth?" Abby asked.

"He used tooth paste in order to get the finger print." Gibbs answered.

"Jamie… For example, if you take something like silly putty and you dig your finger into it a finger print will be left. If you leave the silly putty exposed to the air for too long, it will harden. In this case, the kidnapper probably made a mold of the indentation in order to reproduce it. Then let it dry and harden. There you go… Instant finger print that a person can plant anywhere they want." Abby stated.

"I didn't realize a person can do that." Jamie said.

"It's time consuming and it may be hard to get another person to leave their finger print like that." Abby said.

"What does this all mean?" Jamie asked.

"This means we're dealing with a person who had access to people's houses." Gibbs replied.

"You mean, it could be anyone like; a painter, plumber, electrician, cable man…" Jamie begins to say.

"As for the families of the abducted children, the kidnapper may or may not have ever worked in these people's homes before. But we know he worked in a lot of other homes." Gibbs stated. "We're might be looking for a needle in a haystack."

Tony, Ziva and McGee all run into the room.

"We found a couple things each family has in common." McGee stated.

"Family members, whether it's the father, mother or both… All work at Quantico." Tony said.

"All the children go to the same school." Ziva said.

"And all the families have the same security systems." McGee said.

"DiNozzo… Get over to Quantico and found out anything from whoever works with any of the family members. Stay there all night until you find out something."

Tony runs out of the lab.

"It's too late for the school, but the security company is a best bet." Gibbs said. "Ziva… McGee… Find out why the security systems didn't work that night."

As Ziva and McGee run out of the lab, Abby hands a list to Gibbs.

"Here's a list of names we got from DNA samples and finger prints. Some are in the criminal database for minor crimes when they were teenagers. Some are in the military database. Abby said. "And other samples are unknown cuz they're neither."

"What about the crosses?" Gibbs asked.

"The crosses aren't giving us anything to work with." Abby stated.

Suddenly, FBI Agent Tobias Fornell enters into the Forensics Lab in order to speak with Gibbs.

"Gibbs…" Fornell tries to get Gibbs' attention.

"Yeah… Hold on." Gibbs said. Then he looks to Abby. "Keep looking."

Gibbs and Fornell leave the room. Before going back to work, Abby watches as Gibbs leaves. Jamie notices Abby watching her father.

"Are you checking out my Dad?" Jamie asked.

"No…" Abby defends herself.

"You are so lying!"

"Am not!"

"Oh come on… Your tongue was practically hanging out of your mouth as you were watching my Dad leave the room."

Abby grabs her stereo remote control and presses a button. Music begins to blare.

"What did you say?" Abby asked. "I can't hear you!"

"You are so busted!" Jamie exclaimed.

"Still can't hear you!"

Jamie shakes her head. Both of them get back to work on the evidence. Just outside the elevator, Fornell stops and looks back.

"How can she work with that music?" Fornell asked.

"It helps her concentrate." Gibbs responded.

When the elevator door opens, they both get on. After the door closes and the elevator begins moving, Gibbs slams his hand onto the stop button. He then turns to Fornell.

"My men didn't find anything in our databases that match this case. So we have nothing. I hope you had better luck Jethro."

"We also have nothing Tobias. We have samples that can place up to 12 different people in each house. The evidence was planted in order to make us waste time."

"Here's a list of names we got so far." Gibbs hands Fornell the list.

"I'll have my people check all them." Fornell said as he looks at the list.

"The names are of people who have done minor crimes or work in some type of military service. But we also have a couple unknowns as well."

"Jethro… The samples that are done and came up as unknown…"

"Yeah?"

"The FBI has a database we use for the samples that come up as unknown. For a long time we've illegally collected DNA samples and finger prints. The FBI pays people who work with the finger prints in local police departments and also labs where blood is tested. We pay a certain price to those people and they sneak samples out for us…"

"Tobias… Don't tell me anymore. I don't wanna know. Just check the unknowns."

"I'll get one of my people over here to collect the unknown samples to run them against the database."

"You get anything from the Amber Alert?"

"Nothing that helps."

"We found a couple things that each family has in common."

"What?"

"Family members working at Quantico, the children go to the same school and all the homes have the same security systems."

"How come the security systems never worked?"

"I sent Ziva and McGee to find out."

"So that's the best lead we have?"

"For now it's the only lead we have." Gibbs slams his fists against the side of the elevator. "Almost 24 hours since the children have gone missing and…"

"Jethro… You can't beat yourself up over this."

"I know."

"We'll find them."

"I'm gonna talk to each family on that list to find out if they can give a description of any repairmen or give a name to any that have gone to their home in the passed couple months."

"I can have my people do that."

"Alright… Then do it."

Fornell flips the button to restart the elevator. Fornell finally gets off and Gibbs stays on the elevator in order to think.


	5. Chapter 5

**Friday**

**Chapter 5**

Around 4am Friday morning, Gibbs is sitting at his desk working on a couple things. His phone rings so he answers it.

"Gibbs…" He said. Gibbs then listens to what the person is saying. "I'll be right there."

Gibbs closes his phone. He grabs his keys and runs to the elevator. He enters the Forensic Lab to grab Jamie. They both leave the building. They get into his car and speed down to Montclair, Virginia to meet up with Fornell.

Gibbs drives up to a house, the Taylor residence. Gibbs and Jamie get out of the car just as Fornell parks his car right behind theirs. They walk up to the house where a couple policemen are. Gibbs and Fornell flash their badges at the door. They all walk inside and into the family room where a husband is comforting his wife while she's sobbing. The oldest son, Josh, is sitting on a chair and Father Steve, their priest is also there. Gibbs and Jamie walk over to Josh. Gibbs kneels down to talk to him.

"Josh… Hear you saw the man who took your little brother. Do you think you would be able to describe him for us?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes I can." Josh answered.

"This is Jamie. She's a sketch artist. I want you to describe the man to her so she can draw him. Can you do that for me?"

"Ok." Josh stands up.

"Good boy." Gibbs then looks to Jamie. "Take him in the other room."

"Come on Josh." Jamie puts her hand on Josh's back and directs him into the other room so they can work.

Gibbs sits in the chair and turns toward the parents in order to address them.

"I'm Special Agent Gibbs with NCIS. I'm here to help you."

"Where's my Max!" Mrs. Taylor exclaimed.

"I assure you, we're working it. We're doing everything we can." Gibbs answered.

"I heard what was happening on the news, with all the children being kidnapped." Mr. Taylor stated.

"How can you people not have the man in custody yet!" Mrs. Taylor exclaimed.

"We're doing the best we can ma'am. We've been following every lead." Fornell stated.

"Did you happen to set your alarm last night?" Gibbs asked.

"We always set the alarm before going to bed." Mr. Taylor said. "And these things are supposed to keep you safe."

"Is the security system new? When was it installed?" Gibbs asked.

Fornell's phone rings so he walks into the next room in order to answer it.

"The security system was installed seven weeks ago. When you arm it, it makes a beeping noise to let you know it's working properly." Mr. Taylor said.

"And it made a beep last night when you armed it?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes." Mr. Taylor replied.

"I saw on the news that other boys have been taken." Mrs. Taylor stated.

"That's true, and we're doing everything we can to find them as well."

Fornell walks back into the room. He walks over to Gibbs who is sitting on a chair. He leans down in order to whisper something to him.

"My people went over the list, tracked the majority of them but none of them can remember what any repairmen looked like. Between those families, there were lots of different repairman and people to fix or work on things within the home. They also contacted the companies to find out who went to what house at what time and came up with nothing cuz someone hacked into the system and deleted those records. So we have no idea who was in their homes to gather their stuff in order to plant it."

Jamie walks into the room and hands a sketch to Gibbs. He takes a quick look at the drawing.

"Mr. and Mrs. Taylor… Have you seen this man before?" Gibbs shows them the sketch.

"Is that the man who took my boy?" Mr. Taylor asked.

"He installed our security system." Mrs. Taylor responded.

"Do you remember his name?" Gibbs asked.

"No… But he was very nice. He just came in, installed the security system, tested it and we talked some. I even made him lunch. I might remember his name if I ever heard it again. I know it started with a P."

Gibbs' cell-phone rings. He pulls it out and looks at the caller ID to sees that it's McGee who is calling him. Gibbs stands up and answers the call.

"Gibbs…"

"Boss, everything over here seems to be in order. They tested the security systems, internally. Nothing is out of order."

"But the alarms never went off."

"I know… But nothing over here shows that the alarms don't work."

"Have there been any employee problems or people not showing up to work?"

"Peter McCloud hasn't been here for two days and never called in."

Gibbs turns to Mrs. Taylor.

"Does the name Peter McCloud ring a bell?" Gibbs asked Mrs. Taylor.

"Yes! That's the man who installed the security system." Mrs. Taylor replied.

Gibbs turns to Jamie.

"Contact Abby and tell her to get a B.O.L.O out on Peter McCloud." Gibbs said.

Fornell takes out his cell-phone and makes his own call.

"I need the address for Peter McCloud and a tactical team for a possible hostage situation…" Fornell said over the phone as he walks into the other room.

Gibbs puts his cell-phone back up to his ear.

"McGee… I want you to have them retest the security system. There has to be some type of glitch."

"We tested it four times. There's nothing wrong with it."

Gibbs turns to Mr. Taylor.

"Can you turn your security system on for me right now?" Gibbs asked.

Mr. Taylor stands up and runs to the front door where the security panel is. He presses a few buttons and a beep goes off. Gibbs looks at a lamp.

"How much was this lamp?" Gibbs asked.

"It was $35 at Wal-Mart." Mrs. Taylor answered.

"You can bill NCIS."

Gibbs grabs the lamp and throws it at the front window. The lamp crashes through the window. The broken glass goes flying. Both the broken glass and the lamp go crashing to the ground. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are somewhat shocked at what he did. Gibbs puts the cell-phone back up to his ear.

"McGee… I just threw a lamp through the window. Did anything register over there?"

"Nothing… It shows nothing happened."

"Is Peter McCloud's computer hooked up to the main system?"

"Yes it is."

"Check his computer. He probably has some type of program connected to the system to make it appear that the security system is working for specific houses when really it's not."

"On it Boss."

Gibbs closes his phone and Fornell comes back into the room.

"We got an address." Fornell stated.

"Let's go." Gibbs said. He looks to the Taylor's. "We'll find your boy."

Then Gibbs, Fornell and Jamie walk out of the room. They walk out of the house and begin walking toward the cars. Father Steve runs over to them.

"Agent Gibbs! Agent Gibbs!" Father Steve exclaimed.

"Yes Father?" Gibbs asked.

"I know Peter McCloud."

"I could tell by the way you moved and your facial expression when the sketch was shown. And I was hoping you'd come here. So what can you tell me about him?"

"He's a very bright man. He's good with computers. In the passed two years he worked as a painter, a carpenter, a plumber, a cable man, a refrigerator repairman, an electrician… The man has many talents."

"All those jobs gave him to have access to people's houses."

Gibbs pulls out one of the crosses that were left at another house. He shows it to Father Steve.

"Does this cross mean anything to you?" Gibbs asked.

"Peter stole those crosses off my desk after mass on Sunday. He occasionally did things like that. But it was always minor things."

"What are you not telling me Father?"

"I know I shouldn't say this, but the lives of children are at stake… Peter is a slightly disturbed and delusional person. A year ago he came to me about a recurring dream he's been having. He told me about a dream where Satan came to him and told him to judge the apostles."

"There are 12 boys missing, in total… Do you think it's possible he saw certain boys as being the apostles?"

Father Steve nods his head.

"Thank you Father." Gibbs said. He then turns to Fornell. "We need to get to his house, and we need to get there fast."

The three of them, Gibbs, Fornell and Jamie run to the cars. They get into their cars and drive away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The team is back at the NCIS building after a raid on the McCloud residence that came up with nothing. They followed a couple more leads but also turned up with nothing. Tony, Ziva and McGee are all up in the work area doing a couple things and talking about the case, except for Tony because he's in some type of trance. Gibbs walks into the area, immediately walks to his desk and puts his coffee down.

"Gibbs… Can you make Tony stop doing that?" Ziva asked. "It's hard to concentrate with him doing what he's doing."

"Doing what?" Gibbs turns around to see. "Sitting there?"

"He hasn't moved or talked since we got back." Ziva stated.

"Actually… With him not talking it's definitely been a good thing." McGee added.

"True. But it's just creeping me out right now." Ziva said.

"Hasn't moved from that position at all?" Gibbs asked

"Not one bit." Ziva said.

Gibbs walks over to Tony's desk. He walks behind the desk and stands right next to Tony. He waves his hand in front of Tony's face which gets no response. Then, Gibbs smacks Tony on the back of the head and still gets no response. He smacks Tony on the back of the head one more time.

"Interesting…" Gibbs said.

Gibbs walks to his desk and sits down.

"Should I call a shrink?" Ziva asked.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Gibbs said. "Do we have anything on the where-a-bouts of Peter McCloud or those kids?"

"He's a private person so the neighbors don't even know anything about him. And none of them have seen him for three days. We also looked into family members. He doesn't have much and none of them have seen or heard from Peter in two years. In regards to coworkers, they haven't seen him in two days and really don't know much about him. Finally, as for friends… Well… He doesn't seem to have any." Ziva stated.

"The B.O.L.O. hasn't come up with anything yet. We put out an APB on his car. Credit cards are being carefully monitored for any recent activity. Cell-phone is tapped for a GPS location, but he must not have turned it on cuz we still can't get a fix of where he is." McGee stated.

"All leads at this moment are being followed by Fornell's FBI team, but they must not be coming up with much cuz they haven't called." Ziva added.

"So what you're saying is… We have nothing?" Gibbs asked.

"At this moment… We have absolutely nothing." McGee said.

"This word, nothing, isn't in my vocabulary… So find me something!" Gibbs exclaimed.

Ziva and McGee go back to work. Ducky walks into the area and goes over to Gibbs' desk.

"How are things coming along? Have you found the kids yet?" Ducky asked curiously.

"We're coming up empty here Ducky. With everything we have, all the resources, NCIS and FBI combined, we can't even find one person with 12 kids." Gibbs stated.

"Everyone is trying their hardest to locate them."

"I know Ducky… Well… Except for DiNozzo. He's acting weird."

Ducky looks over at Tony then looks back toward Gibbs.

"So it seems."

"I honestly have no idea what's wrong with him."

Ducky walks behind Gibbs' desk and slightly kneels down to speak to Gibbs' with using quieter voices so the others don't hear the conversation.

"Jethro… Yesterday, when we were across the street walking to the house you assigned to us, Tony got a phone-call…"

"What was it about?"

"I haven't the foggiest. But he seemed to be quite distracted the entire time we were in the house. Maybe it has something to do with his behavior now."

"I don't know what could possibly distract him so much. The only thing I can think is that Jamie dumped him. But I know she didn't."

"Though you wish she would?"

"I don't wish that Ducky… She's happy and… As much as I don't want to admit this, Tony isn't such a bad guy."

"But it still slightly bothers you?"

"I don't understand why."

"Maybe it has nothing to do with Tony. What if it has everything to do with you?"

"What do you mean Ducky?"

"Jethro… You lost her for 15 years. You lost 15 years of being there to protect her. So you're very over-protective of her…"

"Of course I am. I don't wanna lose her again."

"And that's exactly my point. With her dating Tony or anybody else for that matter… You're afraid you'll lose her to him."

Ducky walks away and Gibbs sits there to think about what Ducky said to him. Suddenly, Gibbs' phone rings so he answers it. He listens to what the person has to say then puts the phone down. He stands up and begins grabbing his stuff.

"Grab your gear!" Gibbs exclaimed. "Peter McCloud has been spotted near Norfolk!"

Gibbs walks to Tony's desk as Ziva and McGee are getting ready to leave. Gibbs grabs Tony's cup of water and tosses the contents into his face. Tony comes out of his trance.

"You good to go?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah." Tony answered as he begins grabbing his stuff.

"Let's go get those kids."

Gibbs and the rest of the team walk to the elevator. Once they're all on the elevator, the door closes.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER NOTE: May contain slight disturbing content to some.**

**Chapter 7**

The NCIS and Fornell's FBI team arrive close to the house where Peter McCloud was seen. Each person on both teams put on bulletproof vests and prepare for an assault on the house. A couple FBI agents sneak into positions to surround the house and also look for entry points. Tony, Ziva and McGee position themselves behind a car that's practically in front of the house. Gibbs and Fornell position themselves across the street. All units are in position. Each team begins to sound off over their radio.

"Alpha team in position." Team leader of the agents on the left of the house said.

"Bravo team in position." Team leader of the agents behind the house said.

"Charlie team in position." Team leader of the agents on the right of the house said.

"Delta team in position." Tony said from behind the car.

From across the street, Fornell points a heat detecting device at the house. He scans it across the entire house.

"We have multiple targets Jethro. Three to be exact, and they're definitely too big to be any of the children."

"The children are probably in the basement."

Gibbs gets on the radio.

"We have multiple targets. I repeat… Multiple targets, presumed to be armed and dangerous." Gibbs stated. "Do any teams have a visual on the basement or possible suspects?"

"That's a negative on the basement. No visual on suspects." Alpha team leader said.

"No visual on the basement. No visual on suspects." Bravo team leader said.

"Negative on the basement. We have a visual on one suspect in the living room toward the front." Charlie team leader said.

"Delta team has a visual on two suspects in the living room." Tony said.

"So where's the third?" Gibbs asked.

"Wait… Alpha team now has a visual on a suspect toward the back, in the kitchen." Alpha team leader said.

"Alpha and Charlie teams, move into position and toss flash bangs in the windows on my mark." Gibbs stated.

Both Alpha and Charlie teams move into position closer to the house and ready to throw flash bang grenades through the windows.

"Mark…" Gibbs said. "Move in. Move in."

Alpha and Charlie teams both toss flash bang grenades through the windows then secure the perimeter. The flash bangs go off as team Bravo and Delta enter through the back door and the front door. Team Bravo subdues the suspect in the kitchen while team Delta subdues the two suspects in the living room.

Gibbs and the NCIS team, along with Fornell, head into the basement. They first see a whole bunch of car fresheners hanging from the ceiling. There are also tons of scented candles all over the room.

"Where are the kids!" Tony exclaimed.

Gibbs looks to a bookshelf that seemed to be out-of-place.

"They're here." Gibbs said as he walks to the bookshelf.

Gibbs shoves the bookshelf to the floor to expose a door. He grabs a sledgehammer that was nearby. He swings the sledgehammer onto the lock that was on the door. The lock breaks. Gibbs opens and door then enters the room along with the team. McGee immediately feels sick, holds his hand over his mouth and runs upstairs. The rest of them are shocked at what they see.

"Oh my God..." Fornell said in shock.

There are 12 wooden crosses setup along the walls of the room. Each cross has a child nailed to it, except for one. Each child is wearing a crown of thorns and a dirty white or tan bed-sheet around their waist. Each child has a large cut on their right side made by the spear that's lying on the floor in the middle of the room. There's also a wipe in the middle of the floor that has blood on it. Eleven children in total each nailed to a cross with only one cross that has no body nailed to it.

"Ziva… Call Ducky." Gibbs said as those were the words he was hoping to not have to say.

Gibbs runs out of the basement room. He runs up the stairs and into the living room where the three suspects are being held.

"Stand them up!" Gibbs exclaimed in anger.

The agents force the three suspects to stand. Each suspect has the plastic ties around their wrists.

"Where's the 12th child!" Gibbs exclaimed.

"He was supposed to be sacrificed but Peter betrayed us." One of the suspects said. "Our mission isn't complete until the 12th apostle is judged."

Gibbs walks up to the suspect who talked. He grabs the suspect and rams him against the wall.

"The apostles needed to be judged." The suspect said.

Gibbs punches the man in the stomach.

"They weren't apostles! They were innocent children!" Gibbs exclaimed.

Gibbs pulls out his gun and grabs the man. He puts the gun up to the man's neck, below the jaw. He then steps into the man's face.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger?"

"The 12th boy is a kid by the name of, Max… Peter said the boy reminded him of himself when he was that age."

"Where's Peter?"

"I swear I have no idea where he went with the apostle."

Gibbs thrusts the gun upward into the man's neck even more.

"I mean… The boy." The man corrected himself.

Gibbs bashed his knee into the man's stomach and pushed him to the floor. He then looks at the other two suspects.

"Do you two know where Peter is!"

Both men shake their heads. Gibbs walks out of the room and out of the house. He looks up toward the night sky, breathing heavily and feeling like he wants to cry because he thinks he failed. Fornell walks out of the house.

"I failed them Tobias."

"You didn't fail them Jethro. It's not your fault."

"It sure feels like it."

"You know… There's still one little boy out there somewhere. We need to concentrate on finding and bringing him home."

"I know… I know Tobias."

Fornell walks away to give Gibbs some time alone. Both the NCIS and FBI teams begin to process the crime-scene and wait for Ducky to come for the bodies.


	8. Chapter 8

**Saturday**

**Chapter 8**

It's about 7am in the morning of Saturday and the team finished processing the crime-scene, taking statements from the three suspects and canvassing the neighborhood for any possible leads. Ducky is placing the bodies of the 11 children into a couple trucks. The medical examiner of the FBI is helping Ducky with the bodies. The team is placing their stuff into the truck because they're done. Suddenly, Gibbs receives a phone-call. He answers the call.

"Gibbs…" He said.

Gibbs listens to what the person on the other line is saying. After a minute he closes the phone and looks toward the team.

"Peter stole a boat from a Marina in Norfolk. The Coast Guard is sending out search and rescue teams." Gibbs stated. He looks to Fornell. "I want as many search parties out there as possible. Can you make that happen?"

"I can call in a favor to get some more people out there, yes." Fornell said

"Then do it!"

"What are we gonna do Boss?" McGee asked.

"We're gonna provide extra pairs of eyes for the search." Gibbs stated. "Come on."

Gibbs runs to the car. Fornell and the NCIS team follow. As soon as everybody is in the car, Gibbs presses on the gas pedal. Fornell makes his call as the car speeds down the street.

Gibbs drives the car to a military base in Norfolk. He flashes his badge and the guard opens the gate to allow him in. Gibbs drives the car toward a couple Blackhawk helicopters. Once the car is parked, everybody gets out. Gibbs turns to McGee.

"McGee… I want you to stay here until a person in charge comes around and tell them NCIS is borrowing those two Blackhawk's over there." Gibbs points to the helicopters. "Then go to the Marina and find out if anybody knows what direction Peter might be headed in."

"On it Boss."

Everyone begins walking toward the Blackhawk helicopters as McGee is stays near the car in order to wait for any person who comes into the area to tell them what's going on. Fornell turns to Gibbs as they're walking toward the helicopters.

"I see you enjoy hijacking things that fly." Fornell said.

"It's not gonna be as bad as when I hijacked Air Force One." Gibbs stated.

"You just love pissing off authority figures, don't you?"

"What can I say… I'm a bastard."

The team enters the vicinity of the Blackhawk helicopters. Two men are chatting near the first helicopter. The team walks up to the men as they're attention is drawn to the approaching people. Gibbs flashes his badge.

"NCIS is commandeering these two choppers." Gibbs stated with authority. "Are you two pilots?"

"Yes we are… But we're not authorized to take-off." One of the men said.

"We don't have time for authorization."

"Then…"

Gibbs nods to Tony. Gibbs grabs the men by the shoulder and Tony grabs the other man.

"Just tell your commanding officer I put a gun to your head." Gibbs said. "It's time to take-off."

The man nods. Gibbs looks to the rest of the team.

"Tony… Ziva… You two take this chopper." Gibbs pointed to the closest helicopter. "Me and Fornell are gonna take the chopper over there." He points to the helicopter furthest away.

Each two person team, along with a pilot gets into their own Blackhawk helicopter. The pilots get into their seats and prepare for take-off. Each two person team straps themselves in. The main and tail rotor of each helicopter begins rotating round and round. Once the main and tail rotors are at their fastest speed and everyone was ready, the first pilot made his chopper take-off, then the second pilot did the same. The two choppers are now flying away from the base, toward the open ocean.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

For almost 40 minutes, the two Blackhawk helicopters have been assisting the Coast Guard with the search and rescue. The two Blackhawk helicopter are heading in a South Eastern direction and keeping a wide distance from each other. Each person in the helicopters has a headset on in order to keep in contact with each other and the Coast Guard. A couple police helicopters and boats have also been deployed to assist in the search and rescue. McGee, who is at the Marina in Norfolk, makes a call to the military base in order to be patched through to the helicopters in order to speak to Gibbs.

"Yeah McGee?"

"We have a major problem Boss."

"What is it?"

"Peter killed two police officers and tied up the man in charge at the Marina, but a person finally came along and untied…"

"McGee! What's the problem!"

"The boat Peter stole has a motor problem."

"What type of motor problem?"

"One that makes the boat a ticking time-bomb… That thing is on the verge of exploding."

"Thanks for the info McGee."

The two Blackhawk helicopters continue in their South Eastern direction in order to search the area. The helicopter Tony and Ziva are in goes a little further South while the helicopter Gibbs and Fornell are in continues on their path. Splitting up and keeping a much wider distance from each other means they'll cover more ocean surface. Due to the distance between them, the two helicopters just look like little dots to each other now.

Meanwhile, on the boat Peter stole, the motor begins to make a lot of noise. There's a small explosion. Peter stops the boat and steps out from where the steering wheel is. He walks over to the motor to take a look at it. Without knowing much about boats, nor the fact that the motor needs to be repaired, he grabs a wrench and hits the motor. While Peter isn't looking, Max crawls to the very front of the boat. The front of the boat has a thin diving board type piece that juts out from the boat that a person can walk on in order to get to the tip. Peter, who is still in the back of the boat, smashes the wrench inside the motor. The motor explodes and Peter's body goes flying into the air and eventually lands in the water. Almost the entire back end of the boat is completely destroyed and the boat is now slowly sinking.

From the helicopter Tony's in, he saw the explosion off in the distance and brings it to the attention of the pilot.

"Pilot… Move in the direction of the smoke!" Tony exclaimed.

The pilot now turns the helicopter in order to go in the direction of the smoke. After a couple minutes the helicopters I near where the boat is sinking. They see a body floating in the water near the boat and see Max on the very tip on the front end. Ziva gets on the headset.

"Mayday, mayday… Agent David, requesting immediate assistance for a sinking boat. We found the boy, but need immediate assistance! Over…" Ziva turns to the pilot. "Give them our coordinates."

After hearing the distress call, Gibbs' helicopter is now on route to where the second Blackhawk is as they can see the helicopter in the distance. The pilot of the helicopter where the sinking boat is, radio's the coordinates to the Coast Guard. A person from the nearest Coast Guard rescue chopper gives a reply that they've heard right and are heading their there direction. The pilot relays the reply to Tony and Ziva.

"A Coast Guard rescue chopper will be here shortly. ETA 14 minutes." The pilot stated.

Tony takes his headset off and begins taking a couple things off. Ziva looks at Tony.

"What are you doing?" Ziva asked.

"That boy doesn't have 14 minutes! I'm not gonna take the chance that he doesn't know how to swim!" Tony exclaimed.

Ziva turns to the pilot as Tony takes his shoes off.

"Bring this thing down!" Ziva exclaimed.

The pilot brings the helicopter lower to the ocean's surface. Tony goes to the edge of the open part of the Blackhawk is. The pilot continues to lower the chopped by finally stops.

"This is as low as we go!" The pilot exclaimed.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Ziva asked Tony.

"No."

Tony jumps out of the helicopter. He plummets downward to the ocean water. Finally, he lands in the water and is submerged for a couple seconds. Tony swims upward and pops his head out of the water. He begins swimming toward the sinking boat.

"We have an agent in the water… I repeat, agent in the water! Over…" Ziva said over the headset radio to communicate the recent activities.

The helicopter remains hovering around the area as Tony swims to the boat as fast as he can. Ziva watches from the helicopter. Tony finally reaches the boat as it's more then halfway below the surface of the water. Max, who is crying, is clinging to the rims on the tip and run along the entire boat. Max is out of Tony's reach for the moment since the boat hasn't sunk enough yet. Tony treads water in order to keep afloat next to the sinking boat.

"Max! I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo with NCIS. I'm here to help you."

"I'm scared!"

"I know you are."

"I want my mommy!"

"And I'm gonna bring you to her. But I need you to jump down to me."

"I can't swim!"

"That's alright… I'll swim for the both of us. But I need you to jump down to me." Tony said. "Trust me, Max. I'll take care of you. Just please jump down to me."

Max tries to get into position in order to jump down to Tony but he can't get his foot loose.

"My foot!"

"Your foot what Max? It's ok if your foot is hurts. We'll get that taken care of by a doctor."

"No… My foot is stuck!" Max begins crying more.

"Max… I need you to listen to me. I need you to be a big boy and do exactly what I say. Can you do that? Can you be a big boy for me?"

"Yes." Max whines.

"As the boat sinks, I'll be able to get closer to you. What I want you to do is grab onto me as soon as you can. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes." Max whines again.

"I'm gonna get your foot loose Max, but there's one last thing I'll need for you to do."

"What?"

"When the water reaches your shoulders, I want you to take a deep breath and hold it. Then close your eyes."

"Are you gonna leave me?"

"I won't leave you Max. I promise."

Gibbs' helicopter finally enters into the vicinity but needs to keep moving in closer. He looks out from the moving helicopter in order to see what's going on. He watches as the boat continues to sink.

Tony is finally able to start moving in closer because the front of the boat becomes skinner. Tony grabs the rim and slides his hand up as the boat sinks. He moves up close to where Max is. With his left hand, Tony clings onto the rim as tightly as he can and Max grabs onto Tony with both hands. Tony reaches his right hand under the water to try loosening Max's foot. The water quickly rises as the boat sinks. Tony tries to keep his head above the water for a couple more seconds.

"Max… Remember what I said. Take a deep breath and hold it. Then close your eyes."

Suddenly, Tony himself takes a deep breath then is finally submerged in the water struggling to get Max's foot loose. The water quickly creeps up the rest of Max's body. Max shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath. The water finally consumes Max and the rest of the boat.

From the moving helicopter, all Gibbs now sees is ocean water and Ziva, from the stationary helicopter, only sees ocean water as well. After a minute of being completely submerged, Tony, along with Max, pop their heads out from the surface of the water. Max has his arms wrapped around Tony's neck. Tony's right arm is around Max in order to support him. Tony is kicking his legs and waving his left arm around in the water in order to keep afloat.

The Coast Guard rescue helicopter finally enters the vicinity and commences the rescue operation in order to get Max and Tony out of the water.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sometime later in the evening of Saturday, Tony, Gibbs and Max are waiting in the NCIS building for the arrival of his parents. Ziva and McGee went home already. Gibbs enters in Autopsy where Ducky is about to perform an autopsy on the first child. Gibbs walks over to the table.

"Ah, Jethro… I heard you saved one of the children. Good job."

"It wasn't me who saved him Ducky. It was Tony. He was the hero today."

"It's truly a horrible thing those men did to these innocent children."

Ducky grabs a scalpel and moves his hand toward the body in order to make the first incision. Gibbs grabs Ducky's hand just before touching the scalpel to the body. Gibbs shakes his head.

"Their bodies suffered enough." Gibbs stated.

After a couple seconds Gibbs let go off Ducky's hand. Ducky pulls his hand back and puts the scalpel down. He then pulls the cover over the body of the child.

Gibbs finally leaves Autopsy and goes upstairs. He walks to his desk and sits down. With sitting at his desk, he looks over toward Tony's desk. Tony is sitting at his desk and Max is sitting on his left knee. The two of them have crayons in their hands and are working on a coloring book.

"I'm the coloring king!" Max exclaimed.

"You're much better at this then me." Tony stated.

"Haha! You keep coloring out of the lines."

"How can I beat the coloring king?" Tony asked. "I don't think it's possible."

"You can't!"

Jamie steps off the elevator. Max looks over in excitement but doesn't see his parents. As Jamie sees Tony with Max, she can't help but smile at how cute it looks.

"Don't worry Max. They'll be here soon." Tony stated.

"I know." Max said.

"Come on… Let's keep coloring."

Tony and Max continue coloring. As Jamie walks into the area and begins walking passed Tony's desk, the two of them look at each other and smile. Jamie finally passes the desk and walks over to the front of her father's desk.

"I brought it." Jamie said.

"Good."

Gibbs stands up and the two of them walk away in order to go to the lounge. Tony is left, sitting at his desk coloring with Max. Gibbs and Jamie finally get into the lounge. Jamie hands him the bag she carried in. They both sit down and Gibbs begins taking the stuff out of the bag and putting it together.

"You think he'll like this?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm sure he will." Jamie said.

"After what he did today, he deserves it."

"I helped… Well… I just brought the certificate to your buddy Mark in order to get it taken care of with the new addition."

"Sweetie… Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Tony got a phone-call the other day that seems to be bothering him. I even smacked him on the back of the head and got no response…"

"I'll talk to him. Don't worry about it."

"Thanks."

"So how's the present coming along?"

"Just about done closing it."

"You did an excellent job on the frame Dad. You were always good with carpentry."

Gibbs finally closes the frame and flips it over to show Jamie. She looks at it.

"It's beautiful." Jamie said.

"Can you wrap this for me?" Gibbs asked.

"Even though you're good at carpentry, you always sucked at wrapping birthday and Christmas presents."

"Gimme a break here... Your mother always wrapped the presents."

Jamie takes out the wrapping paper and tape. She carefully wraps the gift then hands it to her father.

"I remember one Christmas you dressed up like Santa Clause for when you were putting the presents under the tree." Jamie stated.

"You remember that?" Gibbs asked.

"At first I thought you really were Santa so I brought you milk and cookies."

"And I enjoyed the milk and cookies. But you never said anything. You knew it was me all along?"

"Of course I did. A daughter can never forget her father's eyes."

"Then why'd you keep calling me Santa that night?"

"We all need something to believe in."

"What did you believe in?"

"You should rephrase that question to; what do you believe in?" Jamie stated. "And what I believe in is a father's love for his daughter."

"Jamie… I... I recently realized a major problem I have with you dating Tony and I thought…"

"You're afraid you'll lose me to him."

Gibbs nods his head. Jamie puts her hand on her father's hand. She looks him in the eyes.

"You'll never lose me no matter who I'm dating. I'll always be here for you cuz I'm not going anywhere. I've told this to Tony before and he fully understands. And now I'm gonna tell you…" Jamie said. "I need you just as much as you need me. We have a special loving bond. Nothing and no one is gonna take that away from us."

"You wanna go work on our boat tonight?"

"I'd love to."

They smile at each other then finally stand up and walk out of the lounge. They walk into the work area where Tony is still sitting at his desk with Max. Both of them are still with the crayons and the coloring book. Gibbs and Jamie walk to Tony's desk.

"You did a good job today Tony." Gibbs stated.

"Thanks Boss." Tony replied.

Gibbs places the wrapped present on Tony's desk. Then Gibbs and Jamie walk toward the elevator. The elevator opens, Max's parents step off and Gibbs and Jamie step on. Max sees his parents and immediately gets off Tony's lap and runs to his mother. As Max and his mother hug each other tightly, Tony looks on with a smile. After a couple minutes, Max and his parents get onto the elevator and leave. Tony is now all alone. He grabs the present and begins to unwrap it. Tony looks at the present and just smiles.

The present is a Gibbs-made frame with a glass front. Inside, there's a certificate and an exact replica of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

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On the certificate are the words:

Your courage in the face of danger, your dedication to this team, your skills as an investigator, and your attitude and manner reflect upon the great man you are. Without your leadership, integrity, and faithfulness to the team and to the ones you care for, our lives wouldn't be complete. In the face of danger, you've shown extraordinary passion and valor in the passed three weeks. The U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor is awarded to "an individual who, while engaged in conflict with an enemy force, distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty…" Whether the enemy force is a madman or even a sinking boat, without hesitation, you took the place of a person you love inside a bomb vest and also jumped out of a helicopter to save a young boy from drowning. Though you may never actually receive the real thing, this exact replica has definitely been earned. You're a true hero. So I, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, present you, Anthony DiNozzo with this award.

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**THE END**

This concludes the story "Bless the Children". Coming soon will be the next story in this series. But until then, I hope you enjoyed this story.


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